Receptacle



April 19, 1955 J. J. CLEMENT RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25,1953 INVENTOR. (JOSEPHJ. CLEMENT BY @MQQ/zov v% United States PatentRECEPTACLE lioseph J. Clement, Williamsville, N. Y., assignor toRigidized Metals Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application February 25, 1953, Serial No. 338,762 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-4)This invention relates to containers or receptacles particularly adaptedfor packing and transporting articles.

The containers or receptacles which form the subject matter of thepresent invention may be used for various purposes, but the principlesof the present invention will be discussed herein particularly inconnection with containers or receptacles which are especially wellsuited to the packing and transporting or shipping of ammunition.Ammunition cases present unusual requirements as to strength, rigidity,shock resistance, and other characteristics. Their use for militarypurposes makes the ability to stack the cases for transportation orshipment in a secure and space saving manner, a matter of extremeimportance. Further, since these cases are often finally delivered tothe point of use by dropping from airplanes with the use of parachutes,structural requirements of strength, rigidity and shock resistance towithstand this particular use are extremely high.

The salient characteristic of the receptacle or container of the presentinvention is the unusual external configuration of the device and themanner in which the contuiner proper and the cover member thereforcooperate in producing the novel external configuration of the containeror receptacle. This novel configuration lends itself in an unusualmanner to stacking and shipping of a number of containers and likewiseproduces a structure which is highly resistant to external shocks andimpacts. Further, the particular configuration of the container of thepresent invention afiords the above important advantages while at thesame time the interiors of the containers lend themselves readily toefficient packing and utilization and the contents are freely accessiblewhen the containers are open.

The principles of the present invention will best be understood from astudy of the specific embodiment of the invention which is set forthherein by way of example. However, while a specific form of receptacleor container is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and describedin detail in the following specification, it is to be understood thatthe principles of the present invention are not limited to theparticular form shown by way of example and that numerous mechanicalmodifications may be made in this exemplary structure without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the present invention. The invention is notto be considered as limited otherwise than as defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of one form of the container of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a general end elevational view thereof with portions of theend wall thereof broken away for clearer illustration;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the container of Figs.1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a somewhat schematic elevational view showing one manner ofstacking a number of the containers;

Fig. 5 is a similar View showing another stacking arrangement; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the manner of stacking a number ofempty receptacles in open position.

Speaking generally and considering the box proper and the cover memberas a whole, the container illustrated and described herein by way ofexample comprises a generally elongated box having parallel vertical endwalls but with the side, bottom and top walls forming a geometric figurehaving eight sides. The two medial or central sides of the upper portionof this figure form a reentrant angle extending longitudinally along thetop of the box and the two medial sides at the bottom of the figure forma similar re-entrant angle extending generally along the bottom of thecontainer. A pair of side walls at each side of the container extendoutwardly and meet mid-way of the receptacle from top to bottom to forma right angle, this portion of the container being the portion 8fgreatest horizontal dimension, viewed endwise of the Referring moreparticularly to the form of container illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and having reference especially to Fig. 2, the bottom and sidewalls of the container proper are made up of an inner metal sheet 10which is formed longitudinally into a double V- shape and a similarlyformed outer metal sheet 11 which comprises a series of protuberancesand depressions. The sheet 11 may be of the general type shown in EwaldPatent No. 2,441,476 dated May ll, 1948. Certain of the depressedportions of sheet 11 are spot welded or similarly secured to the innersheet 10 to form a rigid laminated structure of high strength-to-weightratio.

The end walls of the box proper are designated 12 and 13 and in theillustrated instance comprise solid panels which match the bottomconfiguration of the box proper at their lower sides and extend upwardlyto match the end view configuration of the cover member of the box, aswill presently appear.

The cover member of the box, like the principal part of the body of thebox, is formed of an inner metal sheet 15 and an outer sheet 16 ofirregular surface configuration. This laminar cover structure is ofinverted V- shape generally similar to the shape of the bottom and sidewalls of the container so that the closed containerhas an end outlinethat best may be described as an octagon with two re-entrant anglesforming, roughly speaking, a sort of double diamond shape.

More specifically, the box portion proper comprises two longitudinalre-entrant bottom walls 20 and 21 and outwardly slanting side walls 22and 23. The cover element 15, 16 likewise comprises two centralre-entrant longitudinal top wall portions 25 and 26 and a pair ofopposite longitudinal side wall portions 27 and 28. The side wallportions of one side of the container, namely the box side wall portion22 and the cover side wall portion 27, are connected by a longitudinalhinge 30 whose component parts may be welded or otherwise longitudinallysecured to the terminal edges of the box proper and the cover member inany desired manner.

The outer longitudinal edges of the opposite side wall portions of thebox proper and the cover member, that is the box side wall portion 23and the cover member side wall portion 28, are provided with means forselectively locking the cover in closed position. In the form of thepresent invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, such closure means comprisegenerally a pair of companion flanges on the meeting edges of the boxproper and cover member and locking channel means adapted to fit overthe flanges and secure them against separation.

The flange carried by the box proper is designated 33 and the covermember flange is designated 34. A pair of channel members 35 and 36 arepivoted at their inner ends to the flange 33 of the box proper as at 37and 38, respectively, and the cover member flange 34 is notched in thevicinity of the pivotal connections 37 and 38. Accordingly, when thechannel members 35 and 36 are in the outwardly projecting position inwhich channel members 36 is illustrated in Fig. l, the cover may befreely raised from the box proper.

To fasten the cover member in closed position the channel members 35 and36 are swung to the position in which channel member 35 is illustratedin Fig. 1, wherein the flanges of the channel member embrace thecompanion flanges 33 and 34. The channel members are secured in closedposition by means of end clips 40, only one of which is illustrated inthe drawings, the clips 40 being adapted to overlie the ends of thechannel members as best shown in Fig. 2, and being selectively securedin such overlying position by means of screws 41 provided with swingingbail type gripping portions 42 and threading into portions of the bodyportion proper of the box.

The end members 12 and 13 of the box proper are etained by end flangemembers 45 and 46, respectively, which end flange members may be weldedor otherwise ixed to the laminated wall portions 10, 11. The covernernber is likewise provided with end flange members 47 and 48 whichextend over the upper edge portions of ihe end wall members 12 and 13when the box is closed.

Handle members 50 and 51 are attached to the cover and flange members 47and 48, respectively, and extend across the re-entrant portions of thecover member.

It is believed that the manner in which the peculiar configuration ofthe boxes or containers facilitate interlocking stacking will be clearfrom a mere inspection of Figs. 4, 5, and 6. As shown in Fig. 4 a lowertier of boxes 55 rests upon any flat surface 56 and a second tier ofboxes 57 rest in turn on the lower tier of boxes 55. A third tier ofsimilar boxes would rest on the boxes 57 of the second tier in suchmanner that they would directly overlie the several boxes 55 of thelower tier.

Fig. 5 illustrates a more compact stacking arrangement which involvesthe use of bottom supporting rails 60, the upper edges of which arenotched tosupport a series of boxes 61, 62 and 63 with alternate boxesat different elevations as clearly shown in Fig. 5. This specialstacking arrangement furnishes, a kind of honeycomb nesting of the boxeswhich is very efficient from the standpoint of economy of space and alsoprovides a very stable and solid stacking arrangement.

- A further advantage of the boxes of the present invention isillustrated in Fig. 6 wherein a group ofempty boxes or cases 65 arestacked in wide open position. For stacking the empty cases as shown inFig. 6, the end panel members 12 and 13 are arranged to be readilyremoved I from the remainder of the body portions of the box forseparate stacking and handling. 1

Such removal is accomplished by merely withdrawing the end panels 12 and13 from the grooves formed by the end flange members 45 and 46. When theend panels are in assembled position and the box is closed the endpanels reinforce and rigidity the longitudinal walls of the box properand the cover member.

When the boxes are stacked in either their closed condition, as in Figs.4 and 5, or in their empty, open position, as in Fig. 6, the handlemembers 50 and 51 serve to retain the stacked boxes against endwisedisplacement.

What is claimed is:

l. A container comprising a rigid body portion and a cover member hingedthereto along one longitudinal edge thereof, said body portioncomprisinga pair of spaced vertical end walls and a longitudinalconnecting wall' portion of W-shape in transverse cross section, saidcover member being of inverted W-shape in transverse cross section toseat downwardly against'said longitudinal connecting wallportion andform a box having generally the shape of two diagonally disposedlaterally overlapping squares in transverse cross section.

2. A container comprising a rigid body portion and a complementary covermember, said body portion comprising a pair of spaced end walls and alongitudinal connecting wall portion of W-shape in transverse crosssection, said cover member being of inverted W-s'nape in transversecross section to seat against said longitudinal connecting Wall portionin edge to edge relation and form a box having generally the shape oftwo diagonally disposed laterally overlapping squares in transversecross section.

3. A container comprising a rigid body portion and a cover member hingedthereto along one longitudinal edge thereof, said body portioncomprising a wall portion of W-shape in transverse cross section, agenerally vertical panel member at each end of said longitudinal wallportion interfitting therewith and liftable thereirom when said covermember is raised, said cover member being of inverted W-shape intransverse cross section to seat downwardly against said longitudinalconnecting wall portion and form a box having generally the shape of twodiagonally disposed laterally overlapping squares in transverse crosssection, said cover member when closed preventing displacement of saidvertical panel members.

4. A container comprising a rigid body portion and a complementary covermember, said body portion comprising a wall portion of W-shape intransverse cross section, a generally vertical panel member at each endof said longitudinal wall portion interfitting therewith and liftabletherefrom when said cover member is raised, said cover member being ofinverted W-shape in transverse cross section to seat against saidlongitudinal connecting wall portion in edge to edge relation and formabox having generally the shape of two diagonally disposed laterallyoverlapping squares in transverse cross section, said cover member whenclosed preventing displacement of said vertical panel members. a

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSSkolnik Apr. 10, 1945

